Inverness is
his second title. However, there she was last night at the ball
at Lansdowne House, tucked under the Duke's arm, all smiles, and
shaking hands vehemently in all directions in acknowledgement of
congratulations. I was curious (as others were) to see what it
would all come to, and what, in fact, she was to take (in the way
of royalty) by her motion, and, as I thought, this was just
nothing. The Queen sat at the end of the room, with the Duchess
of Cambridge on one side of her, and a chair (for Prince Albert)
on the other. The Duke of Sussex took the Duchess of Inverness
half way up the room, deposited her amidst a cluster of people,
and then went alone to pay his respects to the Queen. Lady
Lansdowne wrote to the Queen to ask her pleasure whether the
Duchess of Inverness should be asked to sup at her table. Her
Majesty replied that she could not object to the Duchess of
Inverness supping there, provided care was taken that she did not
go out or take place before any other duchess. I saw Prince
Albert for the first time. He is exactly like the drawing of him:
a handsome face without much expression; but without speaking to
him and hearing him speak, it is difficult to judge of his looks.
Everybody speaks well of him.

April 13th, 1840 {p.283}

[Page Head: WAR WITH CHINA.]

The China debate[7] went off on the whole well enough for the
Government, though they only got a majority of ten, owing in
great measure to the number of casualties on their side. Poyntz
died the night before the division, and the breath was hardly out
of his body before an express was despatched by the Tory whipper-
in, to desire that nobody would on any account pair with Captain
Spencer (his son-in-law). In this nice balance of parties, human
life seemed only to be of interest as votes are influenced by it.
Macaulay recovered his reputation on this occasion, and made a
good speech. Palmerston closed the debate with a capital speech,
but neither side appears to me to have really hit the right nail
on the head, or to have worked out the strong parts of the case.
Follett did more than anybody. Thesiger made his first
appearance, but not with any great success. We had on the Friday
a Council for the Order to seize Chinese ships, &c., and on the
Saturday another for completing the forms. There was a
considerable discussion as to whether the Order (being of a
warlike nature) should be signed by the Privy Councillors, and
there was no c